


When They Point to the Pictures (Please Tell Them My Name)

by phloridas



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Songfic, Taylor Swift - Freeform, parent!phan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-08
Updated: 2017-01-08
Packaged: 2018-09-15 20:24:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9255170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phloridas/pseuds/phloridas
Summary: In which Dan and Phil flip through a photo album of their best moments with their two children and Dan tries his best not to cry.Songfic based on Long Live by Taylor Swift.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This has always been one of my favorite Taylor Swift songs, ever since I first heard it in 2010, and after listening to it again recently, I realized it would make the perfect phanfiction! They’ve seriously accomplished so much in these past seven years and I couldn’t be more proud of them. I hope you enjoy!! (Also, this made me sob multiple times while writing this. I have a problem.)
> 
> I strongly encourage listening to the song while reading this, which you can find [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ptritFluOs), as it really helps make the fic come to life! (Also it's just a fantastic song in general.)

_Remember this moment. Take it all in. You’ve earned this, Dan._

It was the final TATINOF show and Dan knew he didn’t want to forget a single second of it. From the multicoloured confetti falling on his shiny face to the lights beating down like many tiny suns, to the roar of the crowd in front of him and Phil’s beautiful beaming face beside him, everything felt absolutely perfect. They had done it. Every single second of his life, the highs and the lows, the agonizing and the wonderful moments, had all led to this.

And just like that, the music started up again and the two performers unfroze to wave to the crowded theatre, rows and rows of faces, only visible in the first few rows, where every single pair of eyes were shining just as brightly as Dan’s own. It was exhilarating, to put it mildly. Even after 79 shows, the feeling never dissipated in the slightest. Heart nearly bursting out of his ribs and nerves buzzing like a swarm of bees, Dan tried his best to file every sensation away in the very front of his mind, to be accessed whenever he needed to remind himself that, yes, he had truly lived. Because who knew what the future may hold?

–

“Dad, Dad!” a tiny female voice squealed, pulling Dan’s pale blue sleeve just hanging off the ultra-comfortable recliner. “You said you’d show me and Jason the big photo album as soon as we finished cleaning up our toys! And it’s all clean, see?” She spread her hand across the living room, pointing to a large cloth cube that Dan had a feeling was bursting with haphazardly thrown toys. The oatmeal-coloured carpet, however, was remarkably clean, thanks in part to Phil’s hoovering earlier that day.

“Alright, miss Charlotte,” Dan yawned, pushing the footrest back with a loud creak. “Go get your brother and Daddy and we’ll all cuddle up together on the sofa, alright?”

“Yayyyy, okay!” And she was off, brown pigtails bobbing as she called out, “Jason! Daddy! Dad’s gonna let us look through the photo album, finally! Come on!”

Carefully easing himself off the chair and over to the deep mahogany bookshelf, Dan couldn’t stop his heart from twisting just a little as he eased the thick gold book from the bottom shelf. This thing right here, with its thick white pages and mementos poking out every which way, was the key that opened the box to some of the best memories of Dan’s life.

Of course, as a disgusting sap, Dan knew that DAPGO wasn’t enough for him back then. He needed something more, something that included all the personal pictures chronicling their entire relationship all the way from that very first day in Manchester nearly twenty years ago. Dan and Phil had already told their children countless stories of their overwhelming success that to Dan now felt like a fairy tale, but something kept holding Dan back from flipping through the pictures again. He could still taste each memory as if it was right in front of him, feel the walls the two of them had crashed through, see the gleaming lights of the kingdom that shone just for them. He even recalled with a pang the dragons of self-doubt and uncertainty that Phil had so bravely helped him to battle. But now, after a quite persistent week of Charlotte’s begging, Dan believed he was finally ready. Hopefully the tears would hold themselves back for the night.

The rest of his little family returned to the bright lounge, led by two racing children, with a fond glasses-wearing Phil trailing behind them. Even their old Shiba Inu, Loki, trotted in behind Phil and hopped up on the couch to cuddle in with Dan.

“I win, you lose, now you have to smell my shoes!” Jason taunted, jumping up on the couch to snuggle against Dan, who grinned down at him and gave his caramel hair a little ruffle.

“No fair! Your legs are longer!” Charlotte pouted, climbing up in Dan’s lap. “And anyway, you’re not wearing shoes, so ha!” Jason merely stuck out his tongue in response as Phil settled in on Dan’s right side, pulling Loki into his lap with a soft, “Alright, let’s settle down, guys. Dad’s gonna show you some of our happiest memories from before we adopted you–before you guys were even born, actually.”

The little ones immediately quieted down after that, gazing down eagerly at the large gold album. “Alright, here we go!” Dan took his time easing open the cover, causing Charlotte to squirm with anticipation. And right there, on the first page, was the derpy photo from that day so long ago when Dan had finally met Phil. His heart flipped over just as it had back in 2009. Jason, still cuddled up beside him, let out a mighty chortle.

“That’s what you guys looked like when you met? But…you were so young! You’re practically kids, like us!”

“Hey buddy, are you calling me an old man? Because I’ll have you know that I’m still very much a child on the inside, thank you!” Phil leaned across Dan to give Jason an affectionate tickle, who immediately squirmed away to the arm of the couch.

“Alright let’s keep going, we haven’t even come close to the good stuff yet!” Dan ushered them along, flicking the page to reveal some of their favourite shots of 2009 and 2010, all hodgepodged together in a way that would only make sense to the two husbands. Their adopted children gasped and pointed at each one, giggling at how silly their fathers were back then. Staring at the pages, Dan was immediately hit by a tidal wave of recollection, running his hands over some of the photos and feeling some of the same sensations he remembered from those places. His parents’ house, Phil’s parents’ old house, Phil’s tiny little apartment from the year Dan lived at uni. The Muse concert that left them both exhilarated and desperate for more. It was as if Dan had never left. He knew the memories would take over if he stared at one picture for too long, so he flipped the page.

Here was the much bigger Manchester apartment he had shared with Phil, when they were so ecstatic to finally be living together. Even though those years were plagued with anxieties and uncertainties, Dan realised they now had a rosy-tinged hue thanks to the time and growth he had gained since then.

He turned the page again and there was the London apartment, a sight that still made Dan’s heart squeeze. So much had happened here, it was quite overwhelming when he thought about it. Pasted with the moving day shots were photos of him and Phil at the BBC, a building Dan could probably still navigate with his eyes closed to this day. Snapshots of the duo interviewing various celebrities and bands littered the next couple pages, along with their actual BBC badges. The kids pointed to each one, asking who this person and that person was, and Phil pretended to act affronted each time they pointed to a new celebrity.

“My goodness, don’t you know Taylor Swift–she was one of the most successful pop stars ever at the time! And that’s One Direction, only the biggest boy band on the planet back then! Your dad here was so nervous, he nearly ran out of that tiny corridor!”

“Hey, at least I wasn’t mesmerized into near-silence by Zayn’s beauty!” Dan shot back, drawing a huge laugh out of everyone. He flicked the page with a tight feeling in his chest, but also a shot of excitement in his heart.

Japan. Also known as the trip Dan still couldn’t believe had actually happened. Charlotte gasped in awe at the beauty of it all. Dan pulled her soft little form tighter into his stomach, giving her the gentlest of squeezes. “I remember all your guys’s’ stories about Japan, but I never knew it was so pretty! And you guys got to go there _twice_?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Dan replied, nostalgia evident in his voice. “But it’s not nearly as beautiful as you are, of course.”

“Awww, Daaaad!” Charlotte groaned, but she was smiling all the same.

The happy family took their time observing all these pictures, Dan only turning the page when Charlotte’s little fingers had tiptoed their way to the corner.

And there it was. Right there. The photographic evidence that Dan had lived his childhood dream with the man of his dreams. He could still hear the roar of the crowd to this day. And how could he ever forget the kingly feeling he experienced inside every single one of those theatres? His gaze jumped now to a photo of a beaming Phil, his head held proudly like a world-famous hero found on a history book page. Pride stabbed him in the heart like a pitchfork in a Thanksgiving turkey. They had done this, together. They had created this beautiful and chaotic mess, this world of Dan and Phil that had somehow captured the hearts of millions. While it may now have taken a backseat to their new role as parents, it was still Dan’s greatest accomplishment, and he was ecstatic to finally share it with his children. And with just one look at Phil, he knew his feelings were reflected in those shining blue eyes.

The next page–oh. Right. Dan’s heart positively burst as he gazed down at the professional and candid photos depicting the two men in their most expensive suits, gazing at each other as though the sun shone out of the other’s ass. He could still hear Phil saying his vows just as intently as he had that day, could still feel the overwhelming bliss wash over him as if the feeling had never left. The children gasped in recognition at the familiar faces, pointing joyfully at their proud grandparents, Uncle Martyn and Aunt Cornelia, Uncle Adrian, PJ and Sophie ,Felix and Marzia, Louise and Liam and little Darcy, all celebrating and having the times of their lives. But Dan’s eyes were drawn to a shot in the bottom left corner. The ballroom floor was nearly empty, save for the two tall men holding each other as gently as a porcelain doll. Another memory hit Dan like an avalanche. The way Phil had danced in that first song–it was like he knew nothing in their lives would ever be the same. Nothing had changed, and yet absolutely everything had changed. It was the strangest and the most exhilarating moment at the same time. Dan idly ran his finger over the embossed gold letters of the wedding invitations, remembering how thrilled he had felt to drop them in the mail, before turning the page yet again.

They were nearing the end now, this two-page spread filled with photos of the happy couple in Japan again, now with gleaming gold rings hidden on their left hands, and snapshots of the very house they were sitting in right now. Everything had happened so quickly back then, so Dan was quite grateful to have preserved these little glimpses into the not-so-distant past.

Past the final moving day photos now, Dan flicked the heavy page to reveal a collage of shots of Loki as a little puppy. “No way!” Jason gasped, eyes flicking from the little fluffball pictured to the real, much larger dog now sniffing the pages curiously. “That’s Loki when he was a little puppy?”

“Yep!” Phil grinned, giving the dog an extra scratch behind the ears. “Your dad was so excited to finally adopt him–we had both wanted a dog for so long, and now it was finally a reality. He sure was a little terror those first few months, though.” Loki gazed up at him with an innocent  _Who, me_? expression, garnering a hearty laugh from everyone seated on the couch.

And finally, they had reached the last page. This showed a single photograph centered on the left page showing the two men sat on the exact couch they were now lounging in, holding hands and smiling in utter contentment up at the camera. And underneath it, the only caption in the entire book: _This was the most fun I’ve ever had._ Tears prickled behind Dan’s eyes, but he just barely held them back. He knew if he let even one drop, an entire waterfall would follow.

With nothing else to see, Dan closed the book with an air of finality after a few seconds. “That’s it?” Charlotte asked, her voice nearing a dangerous whine.

“Yep,” Dan replied, taking in a slightly shaky breath. “Then pretty soon, we got Jason here and we got you and we didn’t have time to take pictures anymore. And we didn’t need to. We made this album for you so that you could see all the exciting things we did before you came along.”

“Really?” Jason gasped, eyes shining. “You guys had such cool lives!”

“Oh yeah,” Dan smiled, sliding his eyes over to Phil, who he discovered was blinking back tears of his own. Dan slid his hand into Phil’s, giving it a gentle squeeze, and Phil shot him a grateful smile. “And now that we’ve all looked at this together, you can take this out by yourselves and look at it any time you want. It’s all for you.”

“Thank you, Dad,” Charlotte said, turning around in Dan’s lap to give him a huge hug. “This was the bestest bedtime story ever. I love you.” And turning to Phil she added, “And I love you, too, Daddy,” enveloping him in another tight embrace. Dan could barely handle the cuteness.

“You wanna know the best part of it? It’s all true!” Dan told the little ones, stretching and laying the photo album on the coffee table in front of them. “Now who’s ready for some snuggle time?” he asked, standing up.

“I am! I am!” both children chorused, jumping up and scurrying off to their bedrooms. Dan and Phil followed closely behind, twin smiles on their faces, Phil taking his usual spot in Jason’s room while Dan followed Charlotte to her ultra-girly glittery pink room.

As he lay there, cuddled up against his daughter’s small form, his mind ran over all the events, big and small, that he had spent the night reliving. He had truly had the time of his life with Phil, and he knew that the Rossendale native shared his feelings through and through. His mind drifted over to a moment from just the other day, something he would ordinarily forget, but that had somehow stuck out to him. A young woman, likely in her early 20s, had gasped upon seeing the little family on the busy Brighton sidewalk.

“Are–are you Dan and Phil Howell-Lester?” she asked, eyes wide and hands trembling.

“The very ones!” Phil grinned, pointing down to the children, “And these are the little ones, Jason and Charlotte! Can you say hi, guys?” The children eked out nervous hellos, still not quite used to being stopped on the street. Phil smiled back up to the girl in front of them, opening his arms wide. “Would you like a hug?”

“Yes, thank you very much!” And she hugged each man in turn, Dan noticing how her heartbeat fluttered like a hummingbird. Choosing to just wave encouragingly down at the children, she added, “My name is Rebecca and I just wanted to say thank you so much for all your videos and everything you’ve done for me.” The words tumbled out in a nervous rush and Dan felt his heart swell. “Your videos helped me so much throughout high school and uni, just to give me something to enjoy and relate to whenever I needed a pick-me-up. And I met some of the most amazing friends through you guys! I still watch your videos today, actually,” she giggled. “And even though you may not upload nearly as often, I’ll always be right here supporting you guys.”

“Awww!” Phil replied, resting a hand over his heart. “Thank you for watching our videos! It honestly means the world to us.”

“Well, really, it’s the least I can do, since you guys did so much for me,” she smiled, shrugging. Also, if it’s not too much to ask–could I get a selfie with you guys? I’ve waited for this moment for so long and I’d really like to capture it.”

“Of course!” Dan graciously replied, and reached out to snap the photo with Rebecca’s rhinestone-cased phone. She had thanked them again then and waved goodbye, telling them to have a great day.

“You too!” both men had said in unison, waving back and continuing on their way.

Blinking up now at Charlotte’s eggshell-coloured ceiling, Dan smiled again at the memory. They were remembered. Clearly–and not just by the people they were closest to, either. And that was honestly all Dan could ever ask for.

**Author's Note:**

> Wooooo it's my first fic of 2017!! I hope you enjoyed this little trip down Phan memory lane and as always, kudos and comments are hugely appreciated! I hope you're having a wonderful day/night wherever you are and if not, that this maybe helped make it just a little nicer! :)


End file.
